Lifeline of Immanuel Medical

Pros

• The nursing staff were highly praised for their care.
• The staff were described as amazing, and the nurses were praised as exceptional.
• The spine hospital was noted for having excellent staff.
• The receptionist in the mammogram department was helpful and kind.
• The doctors and nurses did an incredible job during the pandemic, showing care and quick responses.
• Dr Monique Tolston provided excellent care with professional, friendly, and knowledgeable bedside manner.
• An ER IV technician placed the IV on the first try and was highly skilled.

Cons

• They describe the staff as understaffed and more focused on computers and gossip than caring for patients.
• They report the patient's room was not kept clean, with stains and dirt, and the patient was left soiled for a long time.
• They note a lack of communication, with families not kept informed after transfers.
• They feel staff are there to collect a paycheck rather than to fulfill professional responsibilities.
• They criticize dietary services for serving inedible food, with frequent tray mistakes and delayed meals.
• They describe mismanagement and unsafe conditions that made them feel unsafe and led to leaving the hospital.
• They allege ongoing billing errors and difficulty getting them fixed, describing the billing as a scam or persistent problem.
• They claim discriminatory behavior or unequal treatment by staff, including concerns about door policy and race.
• They complain about difficult and repeated IV attempts, bruising, and poor phlebotomy skills.
• They describe a rude, unprofessional psychiatrist in the mental health unit.

Review

The collection of patient perspectives on Immanuel Hospital and related facilities paints a landscape of sharp contrasts. On some floors and in certain units, patients describe dedicated, attentive care and staff who seem to genuinely want to help. In other experiences, the same facilities are marked by understaffing, lapses in hygiene and communication, and a sense that efficiency and empathy were sacrificed to other pressures. Taken together, the reviews reveal a health system that can deliver high-quality medical expertise in some moments while failing to meet basic expectations in others.

One particularly stark set of accounts centers on a family's experience with a father who had a past stroke and seizures. The critique focuses on cleanliness and communication: rooms allegedly never kept clean, with stains and dirt buildup, and a long delay in addressing care after transfers. The family felt that staff were more interested in clocking in and collecting a paycheck than in maintaining a professional standard of care. They argue that every patient has a right to direct and choose their care, and they felt these rights were violated, effectively feeling treated more like prisoners than patients at times.

In contrast, other reviews speak to moments of strong, compassionate bedside care. A patient who was admitted to Immanuel for ICU care praised the nursing staff and the engagement of senior leadership in checking on how nurses were doing. This person highlighted a stark contrast with the dietary experience, describing meals that were often inedible or misserved, with repeated delays and incorrect trays. Despite the dietary shortcomings, there were silver linings: praise for a baker whose breads were "moist and fluffy," and admiration for an emergency room technician who successfully placed an IV on the first try, even under challenging conditions with very small veins. The hospitality and competence of non-dietary staff helped balance the otherwise negative dietary experiences.

Another thread of the narrative is optimism about the quality of the medical and nursing staff in certain contexts. A family recounts a week-long ICU stay for a father who underwent surgeries and is now recovering, hailing the staff as amazing and the nurses as a "God's gift." The doctors and nurses are described as responsive and proactive, addressing problems quickly and providing reassurance during a frightening period. In these voices, Creighton's reputation is invoked as a compliment, suggesting a belief that the hospital can offer top-tier care when the right teams and conditions align.

Beyond ICU and general medicine, several reviews touch on specific departments and experiences that left strong impressions. A patient with spine-related care or follow-up compliments the "excellent staff" across those services. A separate note from a different patient's experience at the mammogram reception describes the receptionist as helpful and kind, underscoring that positive interactions exist in administrative areas as well as clinical settings. However, these positives are interspersed with other reports of frustration, illustrating that the hospital's perceived warmth and professionalism can be uneven by department and circumstance.

There are also critical voices that describe dangerous or troubling experiences. One reviewer claims to have endured a traumatic stay marked by mismanagement and an inability to feel safe, resulting in a decision to leave the hospital. Another describes repeated missteps in care and a perception that staff were slow to respond, contributing to fear and ongoing concerns about patient safety. These accounts emphasize the human cost of systemic issues, including communication gaps, inconsistent risk management, and a perceived lack of vigilance in safeguarding vulnerable patients.

Financial and administrative concerns appear alongside clinical critiques. Several reviewers report ongoing trouble with billing, including errors, delays, and a sense that the hospital's billing practices are opaque or unfair. One reviewer explicitly labels the financial interactions as "scam artist"-like, despite acknowledging certain positive clinical experiences. The tension between high-quality medical care in some circumstances and frustrating, costly administrative friction in others adds another layer to the overall impression: for some patients, the care pathway is as much a financial and logistical hurdle as a medical one.

On the spectrum of praise and disappointment, there are also standout individual recognitions. A patient thanks a specific doctor, Dr. Monique Tolston, for delivering excellent, timely care and for her approachable bedside manner, noting the smooth coordination of appointments and the sense that her team genuinely listened and responded to needs. Other reviews celebrate empathetic doctors and nurses who communicated clearly, respected patient preferences, and provided compassionate care during challenging events like childbirth or acute illness. Yet even these positive notes acknowledge that the hospital's strengths may be unevenly distributed, with some patients feeling that the system stumbles when faced with more complex, high-risk situations.

Overall, the sentiment across these reviews is mixed and nuanced. The hospital network is seen by many as capable of delivering high-caliber medical care in the hands of skilled clinicians, especially in critical or specialized scenarios. Yet the same network is criticized for hygiene lapses, inconsistent communication, understaffing, and administrative frustrations that undermine patient trust and safety. The recurring themes point to a healthcare environment where patient rights and dignity are variably upheld, where a caring, professional culture can exist side by side with neglected rooms, delayed meals, and tense interactions with billing and administration. The pattern suggests a need for targeted improvements in staffing, cleanliness, patient communication, and financial transparency to ensure that the positive experiences can be expected consistently rather than hoped for on a case-by-case basis.

This part of Omaha, Nebraska, offers a convenient location with easy access to a variety of amenities. The area is well-served by pharmacies such as CHI Health Pharmacy and Baker's Pharmacy, as well as healthcare facilities like Alegent Health Clinic and UNMC Family Medicine. In terms of recreation, there are several parks nearby including Somerset Park and Standing Bear Lake. Dining options range from casual fast food establishments like Sonic Drive-In to sit-down restaurants such as Charleston's Restaurant and The Cheesecake Factory. For coffee lovers, cafes like Scooter's Coffee and Panera Bread are also within reach. Transportation is readily available with the Union Pacific Railroad nearby. Overall, this area provides a mix of convenience, healthcare services, dining options, and recreational opportunities for seniors looking to settle down in Omaha.

Pharmacies

• CHI Health Pharmacy (Immanuel) (0 miles)
• Baker's Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• Baker's Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.3 miles)

Physicians

• Alegent Health Clinic - Primary Care (0 miles)
• UNMC Family Medicine At Fontenelle (2.2 miles)
• Alegent Health Family Care (2.7 miles)
• Alegent Creighton Clinic (3.4 miles)
• Neurological & Headache Center (4.2 miles)
• Heartland Cardiology (4.2 miles)
• Omaha Imaging (4.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center (0.1 miles)
• Davita Omaha Dialysis (4.2 miles)
• Methodist Hospital 6 South (4.5 miles)
• University of NE Medical Center (5.2 miles)
• Nebraska Medical Center (5.2 miles)
• Va Medical Center (6 miles)
• Omaha Surgical Center (6.2 miles)

Parks

• Somerset Park (1.3 miles)
• Keystone Park (1.8 miles)
• Standing Bear Lake (2 miles)
• Memorial Park (4.2 miles)
• Hefflinger Park (4.2 miles)
• Hefflinger Park (4.3 miles)
• Elmwood Park (4.9 miles)

Restaurants

• Wayside Tavern (2.8 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (4.3 miles)
• Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (4.3 miles)
• Charleston's Restaurant (4.3 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (4.4 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (4.7 miles)
• The Cheesecake Factory (4.7 miles)

Cafes

• Scooter's Coffee (3.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (4.4 miles)
• Archetype Coffee (5.1 miles)
• Rally Coffee Co. (5.9 miles)

Transportation

• Union Pacific Railroad (6.2 miles)

Theaters

• Majestic Cinema Of Omaha Omaha, Ne (6.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Vincent De Paul Catholic Church (6.4 miles)